Gerwyn Price secured his first PDC ranking title in over a year with a thrilling 8-7 victory over Chris Dobey in Tuesday’s Players Championship Two final.
Price overturned a 6-3 deficit to deny his BetMGM Premier League rival Dobey in a high-quality final in Wigan, winning five of the last six legs to clinch his first ProTour crown since November 2023.
The Welshman has enjoyed a promising start to 2025, and he defeated a host of big names to return to winning ways at the Robin Park Leisure Centre.
Price stormed through to the last 16 with a hat-trick of 6-2 wins against William Borland, Danny Lauby and Jonny Clayton, averaging almost 106 in his opening round tie against Borland.
Following a routine victory over his World Cup partner Clayton, Price produced back-to-back 14-darters to defeat Martin Schindler 6-4, defying a ton-plus average from the German number one.
The 2021 World Champion then won through an epic deciding-leg clash against World Champion Luke Littler in the last eight, averaging 102 to set up a semi-final showdown with Ryan Searle.
Price continued his march towards glory with a 7-5 success against Searle, although he looked set to succumb to an inspired Dobey, who led 6-3 with a 106 average at one stage.
However, the Bedlington star spurned four darts for a 7-3 lead, and Price duly capitalised, following up a clutch 78 checkout with successive 14-darters to level at six apiece.
The 39-year-old continued his charge with a fourth straight leg to lead 7-6, and while Dobey hit back to force a decider, Price kept his cool to scoop the £15,000 top prize.
“I think Chris played better than me in that final, but I hung in there until the end,” claimed Price, fresh from claiming his 18th Players Championship title.
“Today has been brilliant. Yesterday I played really well too; I’m getting back to my best.
“I’m enjoying the game more. I think my mentality and the way I think has changed, and it has just benefitted me.
“I had a little bit of help with a sports psychologist before the World Championship, which really helped.
“There’s a lot more positivity in my game now, and it seems to be working!
“I know how well I am playing, but when it comes to the big games sometimes, I am trying too hard because I want it too much.
“This is what I needed. This win will hopefully make things come a little bit easier, because when you’re winning you don’t try too hard."
Dobey - who defeated Price in last week’s Premier League opener in Belfast - claimed three Players Championship titles in 2024 and reaffirmed his credentials to round off the year’s opening ProTour double-header.
The 34-year-old landed a trio of ton-plus averages in early wins over Chris Landman, Jose de Sousa and Callan Rydz, before battling past Kim Huybrechts and Florian Hempel.
Following his deciding-leg triumph against Hempel in the last eight, Dobey then ran out a 7-4 winner against Ross Smith in the last four, crashing in seven 180s in the process.
Former European Champion Smith edged out Brett Claydon and Ryan Meikle in deciding-leg ties to kick off his campaign, while he also accounted for Danny Noppert and top seed Dave Chisnall in the latter stages.
Smith was joined in the semi-finals by Somerset star Searle, who walked away with £5,000 following wins over Alan Soutar, Brendan Dolan, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Damon Heta and Gian van Veen.
Van Veen produced sparkling displays to deny Mike De Decker and Stephen Bunting, advancing to the last eight alongside World Champion Littler.
Littler landed a brace of ton-plus averages in reaching the quarter-finals, with top seed Chisnall and German star Hempel completing the last eight line-up at the Robin Park Leisure Centre.
Tuesday’s action also provided a landmark moment for two-time Women’s World Matchplay champion Beau Greaves, who celebrated her first victory on the PDC ProTour.